Known U.S. Pat. Nos. relating to the field of the invention are: 4,570,601; 4,844,036; and 4,950,171.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,601 the electrical conductors are directly embedded in the synthetic resin of the fuel delivery pipe during the molding step.
Essential features of the design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,036 include a housing, floating connecter receptacles interconnected by stranded copper wire, and an end connector. Assembly requires many manual operations including: insertion of the metallic terminals into the connector receptacles, soldering of the copper wire to the terminals, insertion of the interconnected receptacles into the housing, heat staking of the copper wires to the housing, ultrasonic welding of the receptacle retainer to the housing, and welding of the wires to the end connector.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,171 a flexible circuit board is held trapped in a bent condition between upper and lower connector bar parts.
The present invention relates to a new and unique fuel rail assembly and method of manufacture with particular emphasis on the arrangement for providing the electrical circuit connection to the fuel injectors. The present invention provides for more cost-efficient, high-volume production of a fuel rail than available with the known art, particularly with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,036.